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Idea Shop 2

We took a standard 24x24' double-car garage and designed the space to accommodate a nifty shop and the team had to think mobility, double duty, comfort, security, and cost. But in the end, one great similarity with our first effort stands out: bunches of

1 Welcome

In the first IDEA SHOP, we learned what it took to turn a 14x28' space into a serious woodworking shop. And most of the planning evolved from the concept that everything was more of less permanent. IDEA SHOP 2 offers a different twist. You see, we know that many home woodworkers have their shop in a garage (usually occupied by a vehicle or two). So we took a standard 24x24' double-car garage and designed the space to accommodate a nifty shop and the family transportation. To accomplish this, our project team had to think mobility, double duty, comfort, security, and cost. But in the end, one great similarity with our first effort stands out: bunches of terrific, easily adaptable ideas!

2 Phone/Intercom, First-Aid, and Fire Extinguisher

This item is complete with intercom to the house and a flasher to signal incoming calls when the ringer is turned off. The first-aid kit and an ABC-rated fire extinguisher are handily adjacent to the phone. Phone numbers also are stored to the right of the handset. Sorry, no plan available for this project.

3 Reference Center

Keep reference material close at hand with this two-project setup. Simply swing the table up when you need to take a few notes or consult reference material. When you're not using it, collapse the brackets and the table folds back against the wall. The cabinet, with its drop-down door, provides nesessary storage for books, magazines, tool catalogs, and other shop related papers. Fit the table with an inexpensive stool, and you've created a comfortable workstation.

4 Lathe Stand

On many stand-mounted lathes, there's an empty space beneath the lathe bed that does little besides collect dust. But with this clever add-on, you can create valuable and convenient tool storage in a hurry. Our hinged-door project features holders for chisels, gouges, wrenches, faceplates, and other lathe accessories. Note: Our drawings and measurements are for a door panel and frame fitted for Jet's JWL-1236. The size of the pieces needed for other stands will vary. Please measure your lathe stand and tools, and adjust accordingly. Sorry, no plan available for this project.

5 Portable Planer Center

When a project requires thin stock, our portable planer saves us the time and trouble of having to special-order material. But, having to lift it onto the workbench every time we need it can be a backbreaker. To solve this problem, we designed the thicknessing center shown here. For continuous support when planing long boards, we've included infeed and outfeed tables that adjust up or down. To maximize shop storage space, the tables fold down when not in use. Finally, we designed the planer platform so it raises or lowers to suit most portables. Aligning the tables with the planer guarantees a smooth, even flow of stock through the machining process. For information on downloading this plan and the tool mover shown,click below.

Tool Mover
When the design for this tool mover came in, it was like a dream come true. At the time, we had just started work on IDEA SHOP 2 and needed a method for moving heavy tools around that was as easy on the back as it was on the pocketbook too. This two wheeled mover is a winner on both counts. The metal pin at the end of the tool mover fits into the hole in the angle iron tow bracket mounted to your wheel tool base. By lowering the handle, the mover's wheels act as a fulcrum, lifting the tool base with a minimum of effort.

6 Jointer

To keep our jointer mobile, we placed it on a mobile tool base. For more information on comparing tool bases click below. If you prefer to build you own mobile base click below to see our downloadable plan.

7 Mobile Tablesaw Base

It's sad but true that the space beneath most tablesaws goes to waste. But that needn't be the case, as you can see here. Our cabinet stores a plentiful supply of saw blades, router bits, and other woodworking gear on the sliding trays. Plus, the entire cabinet is easy to move around in your shop, thanks to a pair of casters. Just store it against the wall when the cutting is done.

8 Drop Leaf Mobile Workbench

A rock-solid workbench that's mobile? In the past, this project might have sounded a little far-fetched, but not any more. A while back, WOOD® magazine reader Erv Roberts shared with us his garage/shop workbench design. Wanting to keep his cars inside during Iowa's cold, snowy winters, Erv needed a workbench with wheels so he could push it out of the way when the time came to bring his cars inside. He also wanted a workbench with fold-down leaves, giving him the most efficient against-the-wall storage possible. When Erv's hobby calls, his bench top folds out to a full 36x58".

9 Drill Press Table

Quality workmanship depends in large part on the accuracy of your tools. With this in mind, we set out to make your already hardworking drill press into the ultimate precision-machining center. This setup will allow you to perform numerous machining processes with impressive precision.

10 Sander

When building this mobile sanding cabinet, our project builder figured out a way to connect all three sanding machines via clear plastic blast gates to a shop vac. The cabinet measures 32" high, 40" long, and 22" deep. The project appeared in the October 1997 issue (#99) of WOOD ®. Sorry, no plan is available for this project.

11 Accommodating & Sanding Cabinets

What's the number one complaint most woodworkers have about their shop? You guessed it. They have a hard time finding the tool when they need it most. If your shop could stand a little bit more order, try building the double-door or single-door cabinets shown here. You can clean up your act in a hurry, which will leave you more time to do what you really want to do-build stuff. For information on downloading this plan click below.

Sanding Cabinet
Left in the open, sandpaper will cup due to humidity. To keep this perennial problem in check and keep your sandpaper organized and away from dust, we came up with this multi-purpose cabinet. We've made room for sanding belts, a sandpaper cutter, a mini shelf for your sanding blocks, a holder for your scrapers, and clips to hold sanding discs in place. For information on downloading this plan click below.

12 Radial Arm Saw

For storage units, we chose reasonably priced, yet sturdy and hardworking, wall and base cabinets available at home centers. We then built and placed an adjustable shelf between two of the units for our radial-arm saw. We removed the metal base from our radial-arm saw, and secured it to the shelf. Then, we adjusted the shelf so the table on the saw was flush with the tops of the cabinets.

13 Shop Vacuum

The shop vacuum collects dust from a run of clear-plastic pipe.

14 Band Saw

Keeping in line with the rest of the tools in IDEA SHOP 2, we placed our band saw on a mobile tool base. For more information on comparing tool bases click below. If you prefer to build you own mobile base click below to see our downloadable plan.

15 Scrollsaw & Stand

Keeping in line with the rest of tools in IDEA SHOP 2, we placed our scrollsaw on a portable cabinet. The cabinet raises the scrollsaw to a comfortable working height, and can be moved around using the same tool mover used to move the portable planer/cabinet. Sorry, no plan available for this project.

17 Roll-Around Plywood Cart

Carrying plywood any distance quickly can turn into a wrestling match, but you'll win hands down when you use this mobile storage rack. And building it won't bust your budget either. All you need is plywood, dimensional lumber, casters, and wood screws. Swiveling casters allow you to turn the cart in any direction and back it up to a wall for space-saving storage. Full 4x8' sheets fit on the front of the rack. Inside the slats, you can store cut-off pieces.

18 Shop Clock

Like all of the other projects we designed for IDEA SHOP 2, this wall-mounted clock had to meet two criteria. First, it had to perform its task well. And, second, it had to be an attractive addition to our workshop. To address the first, we selected a clock face with large numerals so that you can tell time easily from anywhere in your shop. And, as for the second criteria, we think you'll agree this clock is good enough to grace the wall of any workshop. Click below for information about downloading the plan.

19 Additional Views

Wide View #1
The sander, jointer, drill press, and planer find homes in the far-left corner of the shop. The lockable cabinet stores drill bits and other accessories. The sander and planer bases were shop built.

Wide View #2
The shop vacuum, from its position in the right corner of the shop, collects dust from a run of clear-plastic pipe. With a mobile base, the bandsaw can be positioned anywhere in the shop. Above the heater is the enclosed exhaust fan. The compressor hose cannections are for spraying.

Wide View #3
Design editor Jim Downing, who headed the shop-concept team, says, "Like a 'now you see it, now you don't' magic trick, a woodworking shop appears in the garage after the vehicles move out. Fluorescent fixutres provide plenty of light, and the white paint on the ceiling and walls enhances it. Epoxy floor paint proves durable and resists grease. Electrical drop cords with twist-lock plugs supply power to machines. For air tools and vehicle care, there's a compressor hose on a ceiling reel."